Tag: Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are celebrating 50 years as a rock band. Let that soak in for a moment. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Charlie Watts have been making music together for 50 years. My grandfather was my age when The Rolling Stones released their first single. In a time where no one stays together anymore (especially not bands), the Stones continue to move forward and even have new music that is significant. If you haven’t heard the new single “Doom And Gloom” stop reading this now and go listen to it. Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you.

Good stuff, right? The fact that men who are in their 70s wrote that song just boggles my mind. The video has been viewed over 2.5 million times (as of this writing). And the song is flat out great. Yes, an argument could be made that The Rolling Stones aren’t really hard rock, and perhaps we can debate that in a future installment of “Is It Hard?” but in the 60s and 70s, they were hard rock with a blues infusion. Now in the year 2012, they are still rock and roll and still a fantastic band.

To celebrate their 50 year anniversary, the Rolling Stones will be performing 4 shows in 2012. There will be 2 in London (at the O2 arena) and 2 in Newark (at the Prudential Center). I am fortunate enough to live near the Newark venue, so there’s an outside chance that I might go to one of these concerts. However, tickets will sell out in approximately 30 seconds, and the prices are a little high, so I am on the fence. I’ve seen the Stones in concert before, and I know they are amazing, but it’s still hard to shell out $115 for the cheap seats and up to $825 for the premium VIP seats. Yes, you read that right—the Stones want more than $800 for the best seats in the house. If this follows the pattern of tours past, that means you get to sit on stage with the band. As cool as that is, I don’t know if it is worth $800 dollars.

The other part of the 50 year anniversary celebration is the release of Grrr!, a greatest hits package available in both a 50 track and 80 track (deluxe) formats. With the exception of “Doom and Gloom” and one other song, these are all songs that have been released in one form or another over the years. Most die-hard fans will already own all of these hits, but that’s the beauty of the modern world. Those fans can purchase only the new songs and not have to worry about paying for songs they already own. And while a full album of new Rolling Stones material would have been preferred, two new songs are nice, especially when they are as good as “Doom And Gloom.”

The Rolling Stones are an inspiration. Keith Richards, for all intents and purposes, shouldn’t even be among the living, and yet he is still laying down guitar licks that put most other rockers to shame. Mick Jagger is still swaying to the groove well into his AARP years, and Charlie Watts is still keeping the beat when most men his age can’t even get out of bed. And while Ron Wood is slightly younger than the core members of the band, he is over the age of 60, and still keeping up with his mates. When I’m in my 60s, I hope that I’m still able to listen to and enjoy hard rock music, never mind creating it. The Rolling Stones are a testament to great rock and roll. They are the originators of a rock concert. They are legends. And they are still making music worth paying for.

What’s your thoughts? Are you excited that The Rolling Stones are still making new music? Will you try to see one of their four concerts this year? Do you like the new single? Drop a line in the comments and tell us how you feel!

Continuing their partnership with the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world, Eagle Rock Entertainment have announced the DVD and Blu-Ray release of The Rolling Stones Some Girls Live in Texas 1978. Available for the first time ever on November 21,Some Girls Live in Texas 1978 features Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood and Bill Wyman live in concert during the 1978 US tour which followed the release of their groundbreaking album Some Girls.[Pre-book order date October 28, MSRP $14.98 for DVD, $19.98 for Blu-ray, and TBA for DVD/CD and Blu-ray/CD].

Some Girls Live in Texas 1978 comes hot on the heels of the huge success of 2010’s Stones in Exile and Ladies & Gentlemen and marks the next stage in the Eagle Vision / Rolling Stones enterprise. Some Girls Live in Texas 1978 will be available on four different formats: DVD, Blu-Ray, plus special edition DVD + CD and Blu-Ray + CD digipack presentations including a reproduction tour program. Bonus features on all formats will include a new interview with Mick Jagger. Worldwide theatrical distribution deals including the US (in October 2011) will be announced soon.

Capturing The Rolling Stones at their live best, and fully restored to the highest level of picture and sound quality, Some Girls Live in Texas 1978 was filmed at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Forth Worth, Texas on July 18, 1978 on what many fans consider to be one of the band’s greatest tours. This was due to the band’s ‘back to basics’ approach both musically and visually, as the shows were stripped back compared to previous tours, harnessing the new punk rock attitude of the late 70s.

Showcasing many songs from the Some Girls album, celebrated for being the Rolling Stones’ most direct and diverse collection of music, and which by the time the band arrived in Texas, had gone to the top of the US charts, this concert demonstrates the sheer force and raw energy of The Rolling Stones live on stage.

Some Girls songs like “Miss You,” “Respectable,” “Beast Of Burden,” “When The Whip Comes Down,” and “Shattered,” weave into a set list which also includes “All Down The Line,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “Tumbling Dice,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Happy,” and “Brown Sugar.”

Originally shot on 16mm film, the concert footage has been carefully restored with the sound remixed and remastered by Bob Clearmountain from the original multi track tapes.

“Eagle is delighted to once again be working with the Rolling Stones on another landmark release highlighting an outstanding performance from the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band.”

From their humble glam metal beginnings to their 2001 reunion, Twisted Sister’s Double Live DVD gives Twisted Sister two unique concert experiences that they won’t want to miss.

The first DVD shows Twister Sister at a time when the band was hungry. That hunger helped propel a kickass live show that had to be amazing to see in person. They hadn’t written many of their biggest hits yet, but it didn’t matter, as their show was powerful enough without them. With a set filled with songs like “You Can’t Stop Rock and Roll”, “Under the Blade”, and their cover (they way it was meant to be heard) of the song “Leader of the Pack” from the Shangrilas complete with Dee Snider on a Motorcycle…. Judas Priest style. I thought it was funny that Dee mentioned the only cover song they were doing was a cover of the Rolling Stones, “It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)”. Ummm Dee….didn’t you do “Leader of the Pack” a few songs earlier? I can’t figure out why they never recorded this cover. I have never seen Twisted Sister perform this song before. Their heavier and faster version completely rocks! The North Stage show is closed out with a blistering version of the Twisted Sister song, “Rock N’ Roll Saviours”. This song never got a proper studio release until Twisted Sister’s 2004 CD, Still Hungry. It is very cool to see it performed by the band 22 years before its release.

The film quality from the ’82 show isn’t the greatest, but the technology was somewhat limited when this was being filmed. The audio quality is pretty good, and makes up for it. For being a live recording in a dark and smoky club, it is more than adequate. It is a unique and very cool look back at one of the humble beginnings of became the juggernaut hard rock act, Twisted Sister.

Fast Forward nearly two decades to the second DVD, New York Steel 2001. You will catch the special reunion show that was orchestrated by every metalhead’s favorite DJ, Eddie Trunk. Twisted Sister reunited for the first time in fourteen years at the at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City for the New York Steel Charity Concert. This Charity show raised over $90,000 for the New York Police & Fire Widows’ & Children’s Benefit Fund. While this show raised money for a great cause, it helped Twisted Sister reunite, and they have been performing live every year since then.

Twisted Sister didn’t have on their costumes or make up for the New York Steel show, but their energy more than made up for it. Dee Snider was in rare form for New York Steel. He was quite angry over 9/11 and was parading a black T-shirt with F**k Osama on the back. His anger helped fuel, a memorable Twisted Sister show, and one that should not be missed by an hard rock fan.

The interviews on both DVD’s are a nice bonus. The interviews on the New York Steel, with Twisted Sister remembering their 9/11 experiences was interesting, if not a little haunting. I enjoyed Twisted Sister’s Double Live, and believe most hard rock fans will too!

You can pick up Twisted Sister Double Live at this link. This is a must own DVD set for any Twisted Sister fan! Buy it!!

Disc Two Track List:
New York Steel 2001
01. What You Don’t Know (Sure Can Hurt You)
02. The Kids Are Back
03. Stay Hungry
04. Burn In Hell
05. You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll
06. Under The Blade
07. Shoot ‘Em Down
08. Come Back
09. You Know I Cry
10. I Wanna Rock
11. We’re Not Gonna Take It
12. The Price
13. S.M.F.

I Feel Like Playing, Ronnie Wood’s 7th solo studio album to date, boasts a cavalcade of guests, rounded out by Slash, Flea, Billy F Gibbons, Kris Kristofferson, Bobby Womack, Ian McLagan and others. “Lucky Man,” the first single from the album, can be heard at this location.

You can win a copy of the legendary guitarist’s CD by submitting your name and email in the box below! I Feel Like Playing was released on September 28th, and is available in stores now!

~The Legendary Concert Now Finally Receives Its First Authorized Release~

~on DVD and Blu-ray October 12, 2010~

On October 12, Eagle Rock Entertainment will simultaneously release the DVD and Blu-ray editions of the long-awaited Ladies &amp; Gentlemen…The Rolling Stones. This is probably the most sought after Rolling Stones concert performance and it has been fully restored and remastered from the original film print and multitrack audio masters. Ladies &amp; Gentlemen follows the highly successful CD reissue of Exile On Main Street (Universal Music Group) in May of this year and the Stones In Exile DVD (Eagle Rock Entertainment) on June 22, 2010. The October 12 releases will be followed shortly after by a deluxe edition box set with additional bonus material and memorabilia.

Filmed in Texas in 1972 over four nights of the “Exile On Main Street” US tour, Ladies &amp; Gentlemen was premiered at the Ziegfield Theatre in New York on April 15, 1974 and released into selected cinemas across the USA shortly afterwards. Bonus features on this release include tour rehearsal footage from Montreux, plus two interviews with Mick Jagger; one from a 1972 Old Grey Whistle Test show, and one filmed in 2010.

The line-up for this show comprised Mick Jagger (vocals), Keith Richards (guitars), Charlie Watts (drums), Bill Wyman (bass), Mick Taylor (guitars) with Bobby Keys (saxophones), Jim Price (horns) and Nicky Hopkins (piano). Ladies &amp; Gentlemen was billed at the time as “…the most powerful rock film ever made” and is considered by many fans to be the finest Rolling Stones performance ever captured on film. This is simply unmissable!

This Friday, September 24th, be sure to tune in to Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, when Ronnie Wood crashes the party. Joining house band The Roots for a raucous, rousing evening of music, Wood will be playing material from his soon to be released album, I Feel Like Playing (Eagle Rock Entertainment, September 28), and maybe even a few old favorites.

I Feel Like Playing, Wood’s 7th solo studio album to date, boasts a cavalcade of guests, rounded out by Slash, Flea, Billy F Gibbons, Kris Kristofferson, Bobby Womack, Ian McLagan and others. “Lucky Man,” the first single from the album, can be heard at this location.